Instagram automatically shuts down accounts that breach their guidelines. According to those guidelines, Instagram does not permit nudity on their platform. And O’Brien has filled her @thenudeblogger with images of her young, fit body prancing around the beach – mostly naked. For example, in one shot she does a naked cartwheel with her legs totally spread.

When Instagram reinstated her account, she uploaded a new picture of herself holding a placard, saying “Thank You @ Instagram.” She this reinstatement of her account demonstrated that body positivity activism is winning. She states “Yes…THANK YOU @instagram, thank you for making the honourable decision to reinstate my account. Thank you for listening…not only to me, but to the many others out there and the message we collectively represent.” Later she adds “This reactivation signifies a much-needed move toward removing the stigma around non-sexual nudity.”

However other Instagram users were not so pleased that O’Brien was free to post naked pictures of herself, and other memes with sexual innuendo, on a platform frequented by children. Many Instagram users feel that O’Brien was acting like a spoilt brat. They think she needs to see the bigger picture. Indeed, Instagram is a private company that can make whatever rules it pleases.

Is nudity automatically about body positivity?

O’Brien’s use of nudity as a symbol of body positivity is a very questionable one. Feminist Suzannah Weiss explains in her article on Everyday Feminism: “It’s pretty ironic that the faces of a movement based on accepting those who don’t meet society’s beauty standards are people who – well – meet society’s beauty standards.”

Indeed, O’Brien’s body and appearance are absolutely in line with society’s beauty standards. She is slim, confident and beautiful. O’Brien should learn the difference between the concept of body positivity and exhibitionism.